Sosnoff / Ratigan - Truth or Skepticism from tastytrade

This week, Tom and Dylan unpack the surprising twist in the Nippon Steel–U.S. Steel merger. The U.S. government has secured a powerful new “G” share, giving it unprecedented control over key domestic operations. What does this mean for the future of American industry—and for an administration once seen as pro-business and anti-regulation? Tune in as they explore the fine print, the political fallout, and what it signals about the evolving role of government in corporate America.

When a business or country is run by someone surrounded by sycophants, you lose the adults in the room. Without dissenting voices, it's hard to properly think through issues. Ultimately, it leads to protests in the streets, like we're seeing in LA and Chicago. On this week's episode, Tom and Dylan want to know, where did the adults go? 

It wasn't long, but it was intense. The bromance seems to be over between Trump and Musk. The question is, what will the fallout be? Who keeps the house and is Stephen Miller's wife leaving with Elon? Tune into this week's episode as Tom and Dylan discuss the end of the Elon/Trump era.

The last decade has seen a political bifurcation of the United States. We've endured a pandemic. Despite all that, equity markets seem unfazed. The question becomes, what, if anything, can bring down the stock market? Tune into this week's episode as Tom and Dylan discuss the strength in U.S. equity markets and if they're impervious to all threats.

The corruption has hit a new high. Or low. Investments in construction projects. Meme coins. Airplanes. The White House may need a new color because the innocence has been sacrificed in the name of personal reward by its occupant. Tune into this week's episode as Tom and Dylan discuss the dissent of U.S. ideals into personal deals.  

The crypto space is still in its early stages, as users and investors try to understand its purpose and long-term potential. That process isn't helped when the President of the United States launches a meme coin with no intrinsic value—except for the potential financial gain of himself and his family. Recent reporting from The Wall Street Journal and Financial Times reveals who benefited from the meme coin launches by President Trump and the First Lady. On this week's episode, Tom and Dylan examine what these developments mean for the credibility of financial markets.  

Earlier this week, reports emerged that Amazon planned to display tariff costs directly to consumers. But after backlash from the White House, the company swiftly reversed course. Meanwhile, a new Executive Branch club—backed in part by Don Jr.—made headlines. For $500,000, members gain access to exclusive events with wealthy elites and figures from the Trump Administration. We're witnessing an administration that consistently blurs the lines of propriety, and many are left wondering: when will the pushback come—and from where? All this and more on this week's episode.

Alphabet and Meta are facing regulatory consequences for becoming monopolies. It's not something we see happen often in the U.S. and it begs the question, is breaking a company up because it became too big a good thing or bad? On this week's episode of Truth or Skepticism, Dylan and Tom discuss, plus Dylan shares a story about the time he pissed off Bill Gates.

Nations have different types of power. One is economic. Another is influence or soft power that comes from goodwill. We attract the best and brightest from around the world to go to our schools. We draw in capital because our markets are the best and most liquid. But as Chairman Powell said today in Chicago, the impact of the current economic policy could put all that at risk. On this week's episode, Tom and Dylan discuss the continued fallout from tariffs and retribution.

Tariffs on. Tariffs off. They didn't even last a full 24 hours before Trump gave most countries a reprieve but raised tariffs on China to 125%. Markets rallied on the news and hopes that a disaster was averted. But is this type of movement good for a market? Is it good for trade? Tune into this week's episode as Tom and Dylan discuss the latest in the trade war.

When you change economic policy as dramatically as we have in the last two months, there are bound to be unintended consequences. What are those consequences? Time will tell. But already we're seeing the European Union discuss improving their financial markets so they're more accessible. Germany is rearming. The consequences of trade policies are leading to places we may not have expected. Tune in as Tom and Dylan discuss the unintended consequences of trade policies.

MicroStrategy was the first company to change their business model to rely on investing in bitcoin. Yesterday, GameStop became the second. At the same time, the Trump family is planning to launch a stable coin. We're seeing undue risk with assets and a threat to market integrity all at the same time. On this week's episode, Tom and Dylan cover this and more.

When Russia invaded Ukraine, there was a brain drain from Russia. The best and brightest left for better opportunities. The U.S. was a beneficiary of that just as we've benefitted from kids from other countries, where little academic opportunity existed, coming to the U.S. But now we're seeing the government pull back on funding and threatening other schools that graduates won't be hired if curriculums aren't in line with political objectives. Tom and Dylan discuss the repercussions of this on this week's episode.

Over the past year, crowdsourcing has increasingly replaced facts backed by proof, while regulatory enforcement has declined. This shift allows for new ideas but also threatens the integrity of institutions built on truth. In this episode, Tom and Dylan explore the value of truth, the dangers of subjective facts, and the consequences of lacking regulatory oversight. 

The U.S. is the financial epicenter of the world. A big reason for that is the political role we have historically held. The current administration seems willing to abdicate our leadership role in the world in order to focus more internally. But if that happens, what does it mean for financial markets?   

Can you put a successful CEO in the White House and get a good outcome? It's a fair question. And, it's one with which we're experimenting right now. The jury is out at the moment, but the early returns seem questionable. Maybe it's just early mistakes that will bring learning experiences and better outcomes. Time will tell. Tune in for this week's episode as Tom and Dylan talk about running a government vs. running a company.

This administration has too much regulation. This administration has too little regulation. Which administration is just right? That's the question Tom and Dylan are attempting to tackle on today's episode. Markets need regulation to have enough integrity that investors feel confident. But too much regulation and it markets can grind to a halt. Finding the sweet spot is always the challenge. This and more on this week's episode.  

How do we define what is ethical and what is corrupt? There are clear lines for solving math problems or questions that rely on agreed upon principles. Artificial Intelligence (AI) can take over those things and do them both better and faster. But what happens if we rely on AI for questions of morality? Can AI handle subjective topics and what is the risk if we rely on it for those things? That and more on this week's episode.  

One of the most important aspects of success is being able to tell a great story. Donald Trump is a great storyteller. Whether he's a good politician is open to debate. When success is dependent more on the ability to tell stories than delivering results, does it skew where we place our efforts? Tom and Dylan discuss the importance of being a good storyteller and more on this week's episode. 

Are monopolies something we need regulators to break up or can we rely on the marketplace to do it? The answer depends. According to Tom, if the market can maintain its integrity, then the market will draw competitors that prevent monopolies. Tune into this week's episode as Tom and Dylan discuss DeepSeek, market integrity, taxes and disruption.

A free-market economy is reliant upon a competition and ambition. What happens when the playing field tilts, and you need to bow to political powers? It pushes everyone to the same side of the field and instead of competing, they have to align. Can a market economy continue to thrive in that environment? On this week's episode, Tom and Dylan tackle the idea of having to kiss the ring and more.     

Fires in LA are still burning, but as we begin looking forward and toward the rebuild, there are important things we need to consider. One is homeowners' insurance. Insurance companies will likely use this catastrophe to charge massive premiums. We also will have a need for labor. Where will that labor come from at a time when we're looking at mass deportations? All that and more on this week's episode. 

President-elect Trump nominated Paul Atkins for SEC Chairman. Atkins has previous experience with the SEC during the George W. Bush years. Could this be an opportunity for the SEC make trading more accessible to more people? What would Tom like to see Atkins push for? Also, we're seeing the highest level of CEO turnover that we've ever seen. Is that a function of CEOs being bad at what they do or is it the demand for success is becoming immediate? On this week's podcast, Tom and Dylan discuss SEC opportunities and what makes for a successful CEO.

Is Jake Paul a successful boxer? Or is he a successful promoter? Is Donald Trump a good politician or a successful promoter? It seems the traditional method of becoming successful, which was developing qualifications, has been supplanted by an ability to promote oneself. Whether that is good or not remains to be seen. Tune into this week's episode where Tom and Dylan discuss the path of success and how it's changed.

Earlier this week, The Washington Post decided not to endorse a candidate for president. The Post's owner, Jeff Bezos claimed it was because people don't trust the media. But was the decision actually driven out of a fear of retribution? Have threats against the media already managed to suppress freedom of speech? Tune in as Tom and Dylan discuss the upcoming election and whether endorsements are a casualty of retribution rhetoric.  

We're getting to crunch time with elections less than two weeks away. Interest rates are rising. Commodities are rising. Betting markets are saying one thing. What does it all mean? On today's episode, Tom and Dylan discuss what the market may be telling us about the upcoming election. 

What makes for a good leader? It's a fair question to ask and election cycles tend to bring that question to the forefront. Whether it's a political leader, business leader, or anywhere else, the process for selecting the next generation of leaders hasn't changed much over the years. Has the gotten us as far as we are or whether we haven't reached our potential is this week's discussion topic. Tune in and listen to what Tom and Dylan think about leadership. 

Throughout history, we've experienced periods of exponential growth as a result of technological advancement. AI stands to be the next revolution in growth. Advancement is good. Most of us agree on that. But that also means there will be lost jobs that are taken over by AI. We may not be able to protect the workers, but what is our obligation to the workers? Tune in as Tom and Dylan discuss this and more.

What happens when the messenger lacks credibility? When messengers can't be trusted, the message, not matter how accurate, isn't listened to. At the same times, when we dismiss the message because we don't like the messenger, we harm ourselves. On this week's episode, Tom and Dylan discuss what happens when we dismiss the messenger. Also, should voting be mandatory?  

Our society is more polarized than ever. While it's been a growing problem, it has become exponentially worse since social media use grew. How do we get the most out of social media but limit the negative repercussions? Tune into this week's episode as Tom and Dylan discuss the impact of social media on humanity.

Countries around the world have sovereign wealth funds which are used to invest in various industries. That opens the question as to whether or not the U.S. should have its own sovereign wealth fund. On this week's episode, Tom and Dylan debate the pros and cons of a U.S. sovereign wealth fund and whether or not it would help to achieve the economic goals of the nation.  

Pavel Durov, the CEO of Telegram was recently arrested on allegations he failed to adequately monitor the illegal activity taking place on the app. According to Facebook, they were asked to throttle certain information during Covid by the government. Should government be allowed to monitor and influence what is and is not posted on social media? Are there limits to the 1st Amendment we need to have in order to protect society or do those limits end up harming? Tune into this week's episode as Tom and Dylan debate this and more.

Video may have killed the radio star, but the internet killed print journalism. Google recently pledged to invest over a hundred million dollars to support journalism initiatives. Is this a good development for journalism or is it a way for Google to further its way into taking over an industry? Tune into this week's episode as Tom and Dylan debate what this move by Google may mean for journalism.

We're all familiar with the pie-in-the-sky promises of political campaigns. There may be no greater oxymoron than, campaign promise. However, while the promises made aren't always kept, campaigns are the one time, every four years, where we have total freedom to explore even the most fringe ideas to address challenges to society. This year, we're hearing talk about capping prices on volatile necessities like groceries. Tune in as Tom and Dylan explore some of the out-of-the-box economic ideas being touted this election cycle.

On Tuesday, Starbucks stock soared 25% on the news it was hiring Chipotle CEO Brian Niccol. The news sent Chipotle lower by nearly 10%. The notional value of the two moves was worth billions of dollars. That's billions with a "B". Is one person, even the CEO, worth that much money to a company? Tune into this week's episode as Tom and Dylan discuss what a CEO is worth.

Who can explain why the market fell on Monday? What about how Kamala Harris became the nominee? People can't seem to move on without a reason as to why something happened. But do reasons always matter? On this week's podcast, Tom and Dylan discuss the need for reasons and if there always is a reason sufficient to satisfy everyone.   

Paris is in the spotlight as host of this summer's Olympic and Paralympic games. Over the course of several weeks, countless spectators will visit Paris to watch the games and much of the rest of the world will tune in to watch. It's an amazing opportunity for Paris to show itself off. But is it worth it? The cost to build the facilities. The congestion of additional travelers. It's a substantial investment. Tune into this week's episode to hear Tom and Dylan discuss the Olympics and if hosting is worthwhile.

The events of the last week are enough to last a year. The biggest news was the change at the top of the ticket for Democrats. Was the reason for Biden dropping out so close to the election unforeseen? Or was it done for more nefarious reasons? On this week's episode, Dylan argues Democrats subverted the will of the people by replacing Biden with Harris. Tom, on the other hand, argues it was done out of necessity. This and more on this week's episode.

We haven't seen many heavy selling days this year, making today a bit of an outlier. The question is, what's causing the today's action? Is it as simple as profit taking in what's been a very strong market? Or, with the U.S. election getting closer, are we beginning to see the impact of politics in the market. As platforms and issues become more in focus, markets need to digest what the different outcomes could mean economically. On this week's episode, Tom and Dylan discuss what is behind today's move in the market and what role elections might be playing.

One could argue the country has never put forth two less desirable candidates for president. The divide in politics has never been more polarizing. Turn on any mainstream media and you'd think the end of the world is near. Yet stocks have made 36 new all-time highs this year. How does one rationalize that? Maybe the answer is that markets see something we don't. Tune into this week's episode as Tom and Dylan discuss the disconnect between politics and markets.

When does "talking your book" cross over into stock manipulation? On this week's podcast, Tom and Dylan discuss the recent price action in GameStop and whether or not, Keith Gill (better known as Roaring Kitty) manipulated the stock's price or simply found and exploited a market inefficiency. Does the situation need to be investigated simply to avoid the appearance of impropriety? After all, this situation is taking place at the same time a baseball player was suspended for life after betting a relatively nominal amount of money on games he likely was unable to affect the outcome of. Are we more concerned about baseball's reputation than that of the market? Tune in and find out.

A good job, marriage, 2.5 kids, house, car and a trip to Disneyworld. That was the American Dream. Is it still? Have the things we want out of life changed and with that, has the dream changed? That's fine if that's the case. The deeper question is, has the dream changed because the original dream isn't attainable? Or, has it changed because what we want has changed? This week, Tom and Dylan discuss the proverbial American Dream, what it is and if it's attainable.

We thought the chapter on meme stocks was complete. It was written off as people fed up with being stuck at home from Covid, taking their government checks and bidding up stocks no one was watching. Essentially, it was something that was unlikely to happen under any other circumstances. So, what brought it back this time? Tom and Dylan discuss meme stocks, what allowed them to happen the first time and what the most recent renewed interest might mean.

Tenure is unique to academia. Teachers are afforded protection once granted tenure so they can research and discuss topics that might otherwise jeopardize job security. However, there is an unintended consequence that needs addressing. That is, when teaching jobs are protected, does it end up keeping out fresh blood with new ideas? On this week's episode, Tom and Dylan discuss tenure and whether it functions as intended.

The FTC recently ruled noncompete agreements can no longer be used for employees making less than $151K in non-senior leadership roles. On this week's episode, Tom and Dylan debate noncompete agreements and if they should be used. Is there a case for companies using them after making an investment in an individual? Or does a noncompete just trap people in a job they don't want? Tune into this week's episode and hear Tom and Dylan's respective takes as well as discuss why fewer and fewer companies are opting to go public.